Scoop: Meet the new GOP team plotting a Senate comeback

Driving the news: Moreno is bringing in top GOP brass to assess what went wrong in 2026, reassure top donors and map out a 2028 comeback. Moreno's NRSC transition team announcement, first provided to Axios, will include:

• Wayne Berman, GOP megadonor and senior executive at Blackstone Group
• Ward Baker, a veteran Republican strategist and former NRSC executive director
• Jason Thielman, who was NRSC executive director in the 2024 cycle
• Scott Jennings, a former McConnell aide, GOP strategist and commentator
• Paula Dukes, a longtime fundraiser for Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

Moreno will also rely on a core group of advisors, according to a source familiar with the team:

• Andy Surabian, a GOP strategist and Trumpworld advisor with deep ties to J.D. Vance world
• Chris Grant, another long-time Trumpworld operative, who also worked on Moreno's 2024 campaign
• Tony Fabrizio, Trump's pollster
• Phil Letsou, Moreno's chief of staff

What to watch: The team is starting interviews for NRSC senior staff including executive director.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.